Last year, the entrepreneurs and bacon enthusiasts at J&D’s teamed up with popular comic blog The Oatmeal for the most delectable collaboration in snacking, Sriracha Popcorn. J&D’s, famous for their lavish line of bacon-flavored condiments (and, for true bacon lovers, bacon lip balm), said that this crunchy love child came from the two companies’ mutual adoration of the audacious sauce.  “Not too long ago,” J &D’s wrote on their blog, “we heard from one of our favorite defenders of reason, bacon, and impeccable grammar, The Oatmeal. It turns out that we have something in common with The Oatmeal besides an intense love for bacon – our fiery food mistress is the Rooster.”

Calling their Sriracha Popcorn a “Thai-inspired kick-in-the-face,” the snack is searing but sweet, with red chilies, garlic, sugar, and a hint of vinegar.

This week, a case of it arrived at my doorstep as a glorious birthday gift from a great friend who, similarly, shares my serious affinity for the spicy chile-laden condiment. I’d tell you how many bags I’ve eaten of it since last Friday, but it makes me ashamed of myself. (It’s two, which, at four servings per bag, means I’ve eaten eight servings of Sriracha Popcorn in seven days. Win? Right?)  I was excited to scarf down the snack myself  (ahem, obviously) and the popcorn partnership definitely delivers.

Sriracha Popcorn is not nearly as fiery as its fierce liquid counterpart, but I feel like it might have been tough to stomach if it was full strength. It has a discernible kick, but it’s a touch sweeter, almost like a Sriracha barbecue sauce.  Aficionados will find it completely fulfilling, and I’d say that those who ordinarily can’t take the heat can still partake in Sriracha Popcorn even if the sauce tends to be too strong for them.

For your own batch of crispy kernels with bite, the Taste, Love, and Nourish blog posted an easy recipe to shake up a seasoned snack that might satisfy a Sriracha lover’s curiosity until their official Sriracha Popcorn arrives too.  — Casandra Armour